Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 02.djvu/363

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CANADA 317 CANADA GOOSE of the participants. The mettle of Cana- dian troops was tested first at Ypres, where they stemmed the German rush to- ward Calais, April 22-27, 1915. At Festubert and Givenchy, in the follow- ing May and June, they sustained their reputation. Routine trench warfare fol- lowed for the greater part of the year, but in 1916 they fought brilliantly at the battles of St. Eloi in April, Sanctuary Wood in June, Hooge later in that month, and at Mouquet Farm and Courcelette in September and October, respectively. It was in 1917, however, that they cov- ered themselves with deathless glory in the taking of Vimy Ridge, one of the most brilliant achievements of the entire war. In the early days of the great Ger- man drive in March, 1918, the Canadians performed heroic work in keeping the enemy in check, and when the tide of battle turned with the beginning of Foch's great counter-offensive of July 18, they were conspicuous in the work of driving the Germans out of France. They broke the enemy's lines at Arras in August and smashed the Queant-Dro- court spur of the Hindenburg line in September. Terrific fighting followed at Bourlon Wood, Cambrai, and Valen- ciennes, and on Nov. 10, the day before the armistice was signed, they took the town of Mons in a splendid bayonet charge. From the begfinning to the end of the war their gallantry shed luster on Canadian arms. See World War. The total number of Canadian troops participating in the war was 595,440. Of these 59,575 lost their lives. The total casualties reported up to Jan. 15, 1919, were 218,463, made up as follows : Killed in action, 35,684; died of wounds, 12,437; died of disease, 4,087; wounded, 155,839; prisoners of war, 3,049; presumed dead, 4,682; missing, 398 and died in Canada, 2,287. The total number of troops who were transported overseas was 418,052. The personnel of the Canadian navy at the signing of the armistice included 749 officers and men of the Royal Canadian Navy, and 4,374 officers and men of the Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve. Over 1,700 men in addition had been recruited in Canada for the Royal Navy and were ' on service abroad. The work of the home forces consisted in patrolling the Cana- dian coast and waterways and in serving as convoys and protectors of the fishing fleet. Five War and Victory Loans were issued in Canada during the war, the total subscriptions amounting to $1,432,- 389,277. Canada was also an important factor in the supply of munitions to the British Government. 21— Vol. Voluntary contributions to the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A., and other socie- ties, for purposes connected with the war, totaled about $95,000,000. The years 1919 and 1920 were given up to reconstruction. In 1920 Sir Robert Borden resigned and was succeeded by Arthur Mighen, formerly Minister of Mines. In 1920 a new franchise bill was introduced by the Government. Accord- ing to its terms the only requirements for franchise are British citizenship, resi- dence in Canada for one year, and in the particular constituency for two months, and the attainment of the age of 21. These requirements apply in the ease of male and female voters alike. To meet the expenses of the Govern- ment, a number of special taxes were put into effect in 1920. Modifications were made on the luxury tax and other forms of taxation which had proved to be un- popular. CANADA BALSAM, a pale balsam, resin, or oleoresin, obtained by incision from a Canadian tree, the American sil- ver-fir, sometimes called the Balm of Gilead fir {Abies halsamea). Canada balsam is of the consistence of thin honey, drying slowly by exposure to the air into a transparent adhesive varnish. It is used to mount objects for the micro- scope and for other optical purposes. CANADA GOOSE, an American wild gooee 30 to 35 inches long, brownish above, lighter below, head, neck, bill, CANADA GOOSE and feet black, a white patch on the cheek; breeds in the N. of the continent, and migrates S. when the frost becomes severe. II— Cyc